New Life Church - Downtown Little Rock

In our faith the intention to obey and the cultivation of a life of obedience is our responsibility but at the same time, God doesn’t just call us to obey, he gives us the ability to obey. This is saying God gives us the desire to obey and has given us the power to do it. In this power we can go from people who are warped and crooked, bent in on ourselves, to shining examples of what humanity can...

It requires an incredible amount of humility to set aside our secondary preferences for the greater good of our community. It’s a high goal and often seems impossible to live selflessly as Philippians calls us to because we often have great faith in God’s ability to save our souls but often low faith in His ability to transform our hearts. The truth is - security in Christ is the only cure to a li...

How can we have a life of overflow of joy in the midst of a world of consumption? We all have systems and we must evaluate what our systems are producing if we want to find the path to flourishing that God has for us. A path of flourishing that sets us apart from the world in that we have a joy that defies our circumstances through our peace and strength in our identity as citizens of heaven who a...

What are you searching for? Has what you have been going to to satisfy your searching delivered on what it promised? Jesus is reaching out to you right now. And if you’ll answer this call, if you search for the risen Jesus, he’ll deliver on what he promised. He’ll change you from the inside out. He’ll change your today and he’ll change your future. Answer his call and find rest for your soul, purp...

You may have had needs for so long you’ve gone quiet. If you don’t keep your needs accurately and honestly in front of Jesus your faith and hope will drift. Jesus is not focused on the amount of faith you have, he’s focused on the object of your faith. But if you see yourself and your situation properly, you will bring your needs persistently, and you will humbly get the help you need. “Truly I te...

In Mark 12, guest speaker Pastor Aaron Burke challenges us to go after the lost sheep and bring them into the kingdom. Whose life can you you start speaking into? Who has God put on your heart to pursue? If we love our savior, we have to love and pursue the lost around us! One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so...

If the goal is following Jesus what do you hope to get out of following him? Knowing what you hope to get out of something determines whether or not you’ll be disappointed by what you actually get. In Mark 10, Jesus is clear what he offers us in the gospel - an inner renewal for your present life and a hope for your future that creates within a human-being not just the ability to endure hardship a...

Jesus doesn't want to be our good teacher, he wants to be our God. Our full surrender unlocks the purpose-filled life of walking with Jesus with blessing and persecution. In Mark 10, Jesus challenges the rich young ruler to move from security in his wealth to security in the kingdom. “You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall no...

Jesus walked this earth preaching and healing people, but his main target was always our heart and the forgiveness of sins. In that, he calls us to a higher standard than the law of the old covenant - he wants our hearts so he can liberate it from evil desires and produce in us a new heart, pleasing to him! He is more than just a sin forgiving healer, he is our Lord with a clear expectation on his...

Through the story of the woman with the issue of blood, we see how persistence in our faith, overcoming complacency, and getting in his presence touch the heart of God to move on our behalf. His work isn’t dependent on ours - but out faith should drive us to pursue him and when we meet him he loves to bring breakthrough in our life.

In Mark chapter 4 Jesus challenges us with the parable of the sower and what kind of heart it takes to receive the good news of the gospel. Without humility, being tuned into the Holy Spirit, and his Word inside us we will not be able to keep the soil of our heart ready for deep roots. So be challenged to open up your heart to him and let him work new areas of the soil of your life. “Then Jesus sa...

Our desperation drives us to Jesus. But when we come to him we find Jesus’ deliverance goes far deeper than we can ever imagine! In Mark 2, we see Jesus’ deliverance in the healing of the paralyzed man with a far greater act of healing by forgiving his sins. This is a challenge for us to recognize our inherent brokenness of sin and absolute need for a savior. When we come to Jesus in that humble d...

The good news of the kingdom can only be received through repentance and belief.  The gospel is the good news, the truth. If we see it and accept it as our reality - instead of just good advice - it should cause us to recognize our need for it and come into repentance as we evaluate our lives against it. Repent is the most gracious word in the English language. It’s simply the opportunity to chang...

Who are you becoming and is God speaking to you to make some changes in that area? We are relationally created to live in committed, covenant relationships with fellow Christians to become more like Jesus, and through the love for another, reach out to those around us. Kingdom focused friendships will make you look in the mirror and drive you to growth, but also they will strengthen the gifts Chri...

The defining characteristic that we follow Jesus is not by sermons or miracles or services or songs – but by our love for each other. As we search his relationships we will learn a new way  – a new love – covenant love! This week we look at Jesus’ relationships as an example of how to live in covenant with our church community and walk in a love that astounds the world. “By this everyone will know...

How do we stay rooted in Christ and built up in him? If something is rooted, it means it is connected to a source that is providing life and growth. If we are going to grow spiritually we must stay connected to Jesus every day. To walk with Jesus as a disciple, or an apprentice. The call of Jesus is to come and follow him, not just believe.  “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask wha...

With today’s rapidly evolving culture it’s easy to feel like we are fighting battles on all sides to hold the standards of our faith for ourselves, our kids, and even our church. We are called fight with love and grace, never giving up, and always holding to the truth. We must fight our battles with a sincere heart of love for those we feel are against us. Only God can solve the division in our co...

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus who came as God came to us, not to bring judgment but to bear it. Not to judge the world, but to be judged for the world. Not to condemn us, but to save us. We want this season for you to be filled with Joy for what God has done and hopeful Anticipation for what God will do. Christ is our guiding light in the darkest of days and you cannot ruin the work...

Why should we love God? What does it mean to love God wholeheartedly? Why is he ultimately deserving of our love? We have to see the value of a thing before we will worship it. Revelation is the precursor to worship, and worship is ultimately about love. We must recognize Jesus for who he is, and with childlike innocence, respond with the worship we recognize he is worthy of. “He came to that whic...

As we continue celebrating the Advent season and anticipate the arrival of Christ, this week we want to discuss the coming of his Joy. Christ came to give us fullness of life and wants us to live in the joy of our salvation in him. To plug into our daily bible study, text "DLR" to 501-200-3122 and follow the link to sign up. For more information on how to get connected at New Life Church - Downtow...

Are you at peace? One of the things we often find in our holiday seasons is that it often exposes  just how little peace there is in your life. If Jesus came as the Prince of Peace, how can we access this peace in this world at war? Peace that lasts. Peace that is secure. Today, we are challenged to find peace through true reconciliation - in recognition and repentance of our sin - and accepting t...

Hope according to the bible is “To trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future.” Hope, as Hebrews shows us, is the foundation of a strong faith as we read in Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Christian Hope is not like any other forms of hope our culture has to offer....

We must familiarize ourselves with the way the enemy is attacking our culture, our families, our church, and each generation. Modern study of adverse childhood experiences document the lifelong trauma that developmental trauma can bring whether by abuse or broken families. We hope this message equips you to recognize and counter the work of the enemy, because the only way for this to get better is...

In the parable of the sower, Jesus is asking you which of the four soils best describes the condition of your heart right now? Are you seeing the fruit that you desire in your life or is there room for improvement? Certainly, for all of us, there are ways we can grow, and we must let God be the sifter of our seed and fertilizer of our ground. Be challenged to consider where you can let God cultiva...

It’s impossible to avoid the temptation of hiding our sin - but no matter how much it might make us feel safe for a while - it leaves us no way to really get rid of our shame, guilt, or regret. Our good shepherd, who pursues us in spite of our rebellion, speaks to us through his voice and his word to bring us hope, healing, and restoration and restores our place and calling in him. “Then the man a...